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Topic: Golden Chalice Dough (Read 11563 times)

PrefaceToday I am publicly presenting a reference standard dough formula as well as some of the calculations behind it for further personal modification. I'll not go into all the background, but it is important to know that this dough was engineered with the mass populace in mind. Unlike other unique dough formulas that have interested me, the Golden Chalice dough was created with basically one premise: provide a dough with set proportions that can be used by anyone from the inexperienced to the expertly skilled while still maintaining flexibility with regard to flour types, temperature, hydration, and additives. It is the closest to the "Holy Grail" of doughs I have come to make. While some great dough formulas exist already, not all of them can take a lot of abuse and still turn out with good results. The Golden Chalice is intended to be the "What if I added this?" dough. The following is the reference standard formula:

FlexibilityThe flour can be all-purpose, bread, or high-gluten flour. The fermentation temperature can be anything that doesn't damage the yeast (36.5°F-112.4°F). Granulated sugar or powdered sweetener can be added up to at least 2%. I've added as much as 4% in testing, in addition to a green tea and seasoning extract. The hydration can be reset for personal preferences using the equations found below and attached.

ModificationThis dough is designed to accommodate changes in hydration, but the relationships between salt, oil, and yeast to flour and water are expected to change in step dynamically. As oil, salt, and yeast are relative fixtures, here are the equations to recalculate their amounts when changing the hydration:PO = (PW3) / 7[pi]PS = (1 - PW3) / 14[pi]PY = (log PW-1) / 71.5[pi]where... PW is the bakers percentage of water, or [phi] (default),... PO is the bakers percentage of oil,... PS is the bakers percentage of salt,... PY is the bakers percentage of active dry yeast.

Instant Dry Yeast (IDY) can be substituted for ADY, and the amount can be decreased or increased in compliance with the below fermentation rate equation for variant temperatures. As another point of reference, the amount of ADY in the standard formula is based on doubling in 4.5 hours at 68°F (20°C). This may change based on some minor conditions specific to personal working environments and dough temperature, but it is meant to be a reliable performance gauge.RF = sin (T / 36)2.1where... RF is the rate of fermentation expressed as a decimal percentage of the maximum theoretical rate,... T is the temperature of incubation in degrees Celsius.

NotesI have attached images of the equations for clarity, as well as several stages of a recent Golden Chalice preparation. The toppings used on the depicted pizza were pepperoni, Canadian bacon, and homemade beef saugage. I also included two images of the ThermoKool MR-138 unit. This unit is not essential to the process, but it does offer consistent programmable temperatures. If anyone wishes to use this dough formula, and wants it modified according to the mathematical procedure outlined here, but does not feel comfortable with the math, I can provide those modifications for you.

There is no need to even consider using the equations unless you already had a different hydration in mind. I did not post the specific formula for the pizza pictured because I wanted the emphasis to be on the reference standard formula. You can add whatever additives you want to it. I also doubt very many people possess the exact sweetener I added to the dough in the picture. I would recommend it for the flavor it imparts, but again, not many people would have it. The temperature during which fermentation proceeded was about 47.7°F on average, and the duration was 48 hours, followed by a warmup and proofing period of 3 hours. The exact formula differences are as follows:

2.2569444444 % Malted Brown Rice Syrup Powder0.1781367576 % ADY

As you can see from the GC_dough_proofed.jpg image, I used a perforated disk/pan to bake the pizza. A baking stone was not involved in this case. I baked this particular pizza at 600°F, but the differences when baked at 525°F (the other common temperature I bake at) are minor.

I assume that there are no particular limitations on how one would prepare and knead the GC dough, such as using a stand mixer, food processor, bread maker or even hand kneading, but is there a particular or recommended sequencing of ingredients to achieve the optimum results? Would you also recommend sifting the flour?

Can you also discuss how one would go about calculating the amount of yeast (e.g., IDY) to use in the GC dough to achieve a particular dough condition, such as a doubling in volume, over a stated period of time, and assuming a given fermentation room temperature? For example, a member recently requested advice on how to make a dough in the morning so that it would be ready to use when he returns from work 12 hours later, assuming a relatively fixed room temperature of around 58 degrees F. The answer might also be useful to someone who has, or decides to purchase, a unit such as your MR-138 unit.

I always recommend sifting the flour. That isn't something that will ever change. I wasn't prepared to make any recommendation on sequencing since I would rather people prepare the dough the way they want, but I think my usual sequence of ingredient addition is already pretty well known and fairly standard. I dissolve the salt and any additives in the water (temperature depending on fermentation choice), then add the ADY to dissolve. I either add the oil at the last second to the yeast solution, or form a puddle of oil on top of the flour and carefully pour the yeast solution into the oil puddle to evenly disperse the oil as much as possible.

For fermentation rate prediction based on temperature, each period of temperature change can be individually calculated using the equation I provided in the first post of this thread. An average of rate percentages can then be used to determine what percentage it is of the reference rate. An example:

The dream comes true!I am just connecting my oven and mixer to my computer and I will never need to put my hands on pizza dough again. LOLNice, November, even if I think that these formulas are an Italian heresy LOLLuis

I always recommend sifting the flour. That isn't something that will ever change. I wasn't prepared to make any recommendation on sequencing since I would rather people prepare the dough the way they want, but I think my usual sequence of ingredient addition is already pretty well known and fairly standard. I dissolve the salt and any additives in the water (temperature depending on fermentation choice), then add the ADY to dissolve. I either add the oil at the last second to the yeast solution, or form a puddle of oil on top of the flour and carefully pour the yeast solution into the oil puddle to evenly disperse the oil as much as possible.

For fermentation rate prediction based on temperature, each period of temperature change can be individually calculated using the equation I provided in the first post of this thread. An average of rate percentages can then be used to determine what percentage it is of the reference rate. An example:

This is great stuff you posted and is easy to follow. I, however, can't figure out how you would use these equations for calculating the percent of IDY. Could you do the same example above, only this time, for IDY? Is there a conversion factor from ADY to IDY (ADY%*X = IDY%)?

Another question, just to see if I follow. If say, for example, I make a GC dough and the initial dough temp is 70 degrees F. I then place the dough in a 40 degree fridge, 12 hours later, remove from fridge and allow it to sit for 10 hours at room temp(say 64F). Does your above example ignore the initial time it takes the dough to approach 40 degrees and vice versa? Would I just use the above equations for 12hrs @ 40F and 10hrs @ 64F, off course, converting to Celsius?

I have seen several different conversion factors for ADY to IDY. They range from 66% to 80% IDY for 100% ADY. Pick one. I think the majority of things I've read state around 70%. I have no way of verifying any figure as I don't have any IDY, so I try to refrain from quoting an exact conversion factor. The fermentation rate equation is for determining performance relative to the maximum theoretical rate of baker's yeast. It doesn't matter whether you use IDY or ADY in your calculation. Just convert the starting value or result to IDY.

The example I gave doesn't ignore the initial temperature change, but it doesn't address it specifically. There is a bit of Calculus involved in determining a more precise average fermentation rate, but I won't go into that. Instead, I am working on a calculator for the Uncle Salmon food tools page to do all the math for you, and do it even more precisely, as few here would want to delve into integration.

Weak natural light coming from behind, left, and right; 90W overhead incandescent cluster that I try to diffuse if I remember to; 75W front-overhead GE Reveal incandescent; and the camera's flash to fill in the rest for some shots.

Really nice shots. Please tell me more about the styrene sheet. Is the pizza sitting on the sheet and you have flexed it up as a back drop behind the pies? If so, what thickness do you recommend. Seems like a great solution. Thanks!

Thank you. Yes, the sheet is bent into position to have a smooth, continuous, and seamless curve from the horizontal plane to the vertical plane. You see this configuration often when manufacturers take product stills. I used SKU#43334 from the aforementioned United States Plastic Corporation. The whole pizza was actually sitting on a rack out of view, but the slice was sitting on the polystyrene.

You might notice that in my last post I gave the SKU# to the exact sheet of polystyrene I used. It is a sheet, not a roll. Although thin, it is not effortless to bend 90°. Just pretend it's a thin piece of white plywood.

You might notice that in my last post I gave the SKU# to the exact sheet of polystyrene I used. It is a sheet, not a roll. Although thin, it is not effortless to bend 90°. Just pretend it's a thin piece of white plywood.

Once a thread goes off topic from its original purpose, it isn't easy to carve it up to start a new thread without modifying other people's posts, which I do not like to do in any material way. Since you were the one who first asked about the camera, you should feel free to start a new thread on the subject. If you choose to do that, I'd be happy to delete the camera posts in this thread provided that you and other members who posted on the topic have no objection. That can wait until you start the new thread if that is acceptable.

Lets do what Peter said and start a thead on taking pictures of our pizza interests. It would be great if we had a spot to reference when we have questions and issues about taking pictures of our pizzas.

I don't think the discussion here has gone far enough off topic to warrant Peter carving out posts from this thread. The discussion here was still about these photos and not about photos in general. A thread already exists for this type of discussion though, so I see no need to start another one either.